Monograph: Interview With The Chef Ugo Lo Presti

G: Tell us about the project? What did inspire you to start? What is unique about your project?

Monograph is a Japanese supper club that takes place every Friday. A tasting size portions multi-course menu, changing every month, allows to experience high quality Japanese food at an accessible price.

What inspires me is a desire to create, communicate and express my visions through my work. I’ve found in Japanese cuisine and in all the aspects regarding the design of a dining experience, a way to satisfy those desires. I feel it’s a bit early to call Monograph unique in anyway. What I can say for sure is that it is my aim.

Abandoning all the common rules for designing dining experiences and follow the instinct, freely, without the research for consensus or the safety of something that has already been done before. I came to London less then one year ago with the hope that it is the right place to do that.

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G: What would you say has been your most memorable experience while developing this project?

Does a moment of passion with my ex co-host, after trying new recipes, counts as an answer? It is probably the most memorable experience.

G: Why do you choose Shoreditch to do this?

I was quite new to London and I found this space called Commune Cafè (http://www.communecafe.co.uk) which aims to be a small business incubator for food start-ups. This gave me the chance to start with little capital. I’m still in the process of discovering more about Shoreditch.

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G: How do you chose the menus for the events?

I look for inspirations everywhere. I like to let events influence and blend with my project. Few days ago I was eating at a sushi bar while I receive a text from a Japanese friend asking me where he could find a certain ingredient. What I was eating in that moment, and that ingredient he was looking for, became the starting point for a new recipe.

G: What does the future has in store for you?

I’m looking for passionate people interested in being part of the project and I want to give to Monograph it’s own studio/venue, from where design and provide new dining experiences without limitations.

Social links:

Twitter: @monographlondon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monographlondon

Website: http://www.monographlondon.com